Air-adjusting device for grain separators



Mar. 20, 1923, v 1,449,071. A. H. SPITZENBERG'ER. AIR AD J USTING DEVJCE FDR GRAIN SEPARATORS.

' FILED FEB. 3, 1922, V 2 SHEETSSHEET I.

Mar. 20, 19 23. LMWWL A. H. SPITZENBERGER.

AIR ADJUSTING DEVICE FOR GRAIN SEPARATO R'S.

FILED FEB. 3, 1922. 2 SHEETS5HEET 2- Patented ll/lar. 2Q, i923.

la ldhflill AUGUST H. SPITZENBERGEB, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

AIR-ADJUSTING DEVICE FOR GRAIN SEPABA'IORS.

Application filed Februaiy 3, 1922. Serial No. 533,753.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that AUcUs'r H. Srrrznn BERGER, citizen of the United States. residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Adjusting Devices for Grain Separators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an air adjusting device for grain separators which usually constitute parts of threshing machines. In the ordinary operation of a threshing ma chine, it is pulled out onto the field and tested in order to see if it is level. Often, it will be found the machine is higher on one side than on the other, and in order to correct this, a hole is dug and the machine pulled into it in order to get it level. If the machine is not level, the grain will bank up on the low side of the sieves with the result that that portion remains dirty while on the high side, where the layer is thin, it may blow into the straw stack.

In order to obviate these difficulties, I vary the amount of air fed through the fan door openings to each side of the sieve. It is well understood among thrashermen that there is a cross blast of air in separator fanning mills, which means that the air entering the fan on one side is directed to the opposite side of the mill and passes to the sieve at the opposite side of the machine to that at which it enters.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a construction which can be applied to any grain separator or seed huller for varying the quantity of air fed to the separator.

A further object is to providea construction for varying the amount of air fed to each side and proportioned to the angularity of the sieve.

With these general objects in view. my invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and combination of parts as hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that it may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through portions of a grain separator illustrating my invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and

Figs. l, 5 and 6 are views of theditferent types of doors which may be employed.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the clamp for holding the leveling bar in position.

Referring to the drawings, the grain separator is provided with a casing 2, and a screen 3 within the same. The grain being deposited on the screen, air from the fan 4 is blown through the same, the particles of grain falling through the sieve on to the grain board 8 to be carried off by the conveyor 5 while the tailings are carried off by the conveyor 6. The arrangement hereinabove described is a purely conventional one and any other arrangement might be substituted for that just described without affecting the spirit of the invention. The fan may be mounted in any suitablemanner as on the brackets 46 and is driven by a pulley 7 connected to a source of power.

On each side of the fan are openings 9 and 10, the size of which are controlled by the position of the doors 11 and 12 respectively. These doors are operated in alternate directions by the leveling bar 13, pivoted at 141 to the bracket 15 mounted on the top of the casing, the said bar carrying a level 27. A connecting rod 19, pivotally attached to one end of the leveling bar and to the link 20 carried by the door, effects the desired reciprocating motion from the leveling bar to the doors.

A graduated standard 24: is secured to the top of the casing 2 and for holding the leveling bar 13 in adjusted position, there is provided a. cam 25 pivoted to a yoke arm 26 carried by the bar 13, the said cam engaging the standard to level the bar in adjusted position.

For effecting independent adjustment of the doors. each end of the leveling bar 13 is provided with a graduated adjusting quadrant, consisting of a bell crank lever 16, pivoted at 17, and locking means 18 for holding the said parts in adjusted position.

Various types of doors may be employed. In Figs. 1-4 a sliding door is used having a slot 28 cut away to fit the fan shaft. In Fig. 6, pairs of doors 29 are employed pivoted at 30 and connected to the operating rod 20 by connecting links 31 pivoted at each end to the respective parts. Suitable slots 28 are also cut of these doors to fit around the fan shaft. In Fig. 5 a single pivoted door is utilized, operated through the lever 32, pivoted at 33, and engaging the operating link at one end and pivotally connected at the other end to -a link 34, which last named link is pivotally connected to the door. This door is also provided with a slot 28 to fit around the fan shaft. I

In operation, when the threshing machine is on level ground,the size of the door openings may be independently adjusted and held in adjusted position, through the medium of the graduated adjusting quadrants, "so 'thatthe same amountof air is fed to each side of the fan. For the most eflicient work the separator should stand on level ground, but this condition seldom prevails, for although the machine may have been carefully leveled in the beginning. the vibration 'due to operation soon throws it off and the grain tends to bank up on thelo'w side of the sieves. The result is .an uneven distribution of the grain on the sieves and the grain'will remain dirty onthe low side of the sieves where an excess quantity is present, While on the hinge side of the sieves the layer will be thinner, and a greater percentage of waste will result. At present no means are ,providedon the separator to indicate the exact adustinent of the air doors in proportion to the'slope of the sieves, and consequently the operator must depend for the most part on guesswork to overcome this difliculty. When the machine is not on level g'roundand one side is higher than the other as shown by the leveling bar, "the operator tilts the leveling bar until it is level, with theresult that the door on the high side is opened wider and the door on the low side proportionately closed. already pointed out, it is found byexperience that the air entering on one side of the fan operates largely on the grain on the opposite side of the sieve. The air coming in on the high side of the casing will accordingly largely act on the grain which is banked upon the low side of the sieve, and for this reason the dooron the high side is opened'widerto' proportionally increase the volume of air. At the same time, the door on the low side is closed 'to proportionately diminish the quantity of air acting on the high side of the sieve, where the layer of grain is proportionatelythin.

F rom'the above description it will be ap I parent that I have produced a device of the character described as desirable, and while I have illustrated and described the preferred form of the invention, it will be understood that I reserve the right to all changes properly falling within the spirit and scope of the appended .claims.

Therefore what I claim as new and desire to'se'cureby Letters Patent is:

l. A grain separating and cleaning devicecompr'ising a sieve, a fan for feeding separating air thereto, openings for admitting air to opposite sides of the fan, means for simultaneously increasing the size of the opening on the high'side of the sieve in proportion to the transverse angularity of.

the sieve, and decreasing it on the low side of the sieve, to vary the-quantity of air fed to the side of the sieve opposite the said comprising a easing,ga sieve mounted thereon, a fan mounted in proximity ,to'th'e sieve for feeding separating air thereto, openings in the casing for admitting air to opposite sides of the fan, means for independently adjusting 'the size of the said openings, and means for simultaneously increa'sing and decreasing respectively the "sizeof the said openings in proportion to the transverse. angularity of thesieve, the volume of separating air being in proportion to the size'of said openings;

4. A grain separating and cleaning device comprising a caslng, a sieve mounted therein, a fan mounted in proximity tothe sieve for feeding separating air thereto, openings in the casing for admitting air to the opposite sides ofthe fan, closures for the said openings, a leveling barpivotally mounted on the casing intermediate its ends, links pivotally connecting the leveling bar and closures, movement of the said leveling bar opening a closure on one side and proportionately closing a closure on the other side.

Intestimony whereof I affix my sig'uiature.

AUGUST- H. SPITZENBERGER. 

